The late comic annually shared his anecdote about a close encounter with The Masked Man.
For many of us, watching comic-actor Jay Thomas on The Late Show with David Letterman around Christmastime was a family tradition. Because we knew we were always in a good laugh when, each year, Thomas — who passed away Aug. 24, 2017 — attempted to throw a football and knock a meatball from atop an elaborately decorated Christmas tree on stage. (No kidding.)
And, better still, we knew we were in for an even bigger laugh when Thomas once again told the story about how, during his salad days as a disc jockey, he had a close encounter with Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger.
Letterman enjoyed what he called “the greatest talk show story ever told” so much that, one year, the host had his staff prepare a video “re-enactment” of the punchline. Thomas approved.
But if you would prefer to hear Thomas himself tell the entire story, and take another crack at that meatball, check this out.
